What looks like a huge, lush garden is really extreme container gardening. “Everything is in pots,” said Scott Dunlap. His husband, Joe Hopkins, does the gardening and together they share their Buffalo Cottage District landscape on Open Gardens and Garden Walk Buffalo. You can get a glimpse of their gardens in this video, created by Jay Jinge Hu, who also shares his Williamsville landscape on Open Gardens. Other interesting tidbits from Hopkins and Dunlap’s landscape: See more videos here….
Master Gardener training for residents of Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties will begin Tuesday, March 5. The program lasts 14 weeks takes place every other Tuesday evening from 6-8 p.m. at 28 Parkside Dr., Ellicottville. There is a remote Zoom option available. Tuition is $125. Apply here or contact Shannon Rinow, Master Gardener program coordinator, at smr336@cornell.edu. The program includes a core course in gardening, as well as refresher classes, field trips and workshops to enhance expertise and ability to communicate information…
by Connie Oswald Stofko Majestic trees rise high above the huge backyard of Kim and Seth Kaiser. “I retired a couple years ago,” Kim said, “but when I was working, this was my respite.” The size of the backyard itself, 200 feet deep, is remarkable. “Who would ever think this is back here?” a visitor wondered. Kim replied: “It’s a surprise!” When the Kaisers moved into their East Aurora home 33 years ago, “There were no flowers here,” Kim said….
by Connie Oswald Stofko The forecast for the coming week calls for daytime temperatures above freezing, so if we do get any snow, it should melt. That means you’ll have time to easily walk around your yard and prepare your gardens for another onslaught of snow. When the temperatures do get colder, chances are we will get lake effect snow again. Lake Erie still hasn’t iced over, so cold wind picking up moisture from the lake can fall on land…
The 20th Annual Communities in Bloom Classes will be held by the Master Gardener Program of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County. Classes will be of interest to both beginning and veteran gardeners. Dates, locations & topics February 10 – Orchard Park Community Center, 4520 California Road, Orchard Park February 24 – Roswell Park Community Center, 907 Michigan Ave, Buffalo Class times 8:30 a.m. registration / 9–11:45 a.m. class Pre-registration is required. Register here or contact jah663@cornell.edu or (716) 652-5400 ext. 176. Fees 1 day/2…
by Connie Oswald Stofko David Clark, CNLP has sad arborvitaes in his Hamburg yard. “They’re about 15 feet tall, but they’re bent lower than my knees,” he told me over the weekend. While that’s bad, it’s not as bad as it could be because the soil wasn’t frozen yet. The roots of the arborvitaes could come out of the ground a little bit and allow the shrubs to tip, preventing the trunk from snapping. Your azaleas and rhododendrons will be…
by Connie Oswald Stofko Colorful orchids are displayed in a way you’ve never seen before during a new Orchid Exhibit that will open Wednesday, Jan. 24 at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. The opening of the exhibit was postponed because of the weather, but it’s worth the wait. Enter through arches adorned with orchids. See orchids hanging from orbs and enjoy the masses of orchids in pots. Make sure you look up to…
Learners will be able to attend class remotely and earn up to $1,500 in the Hybrid–Landscape Maintenance Technician program from the Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology (BCAT). Adults who are accepted into the program will receive a scholarship that will cover 100 percent of tuition, books and work boots. There will be 30 hours of online classes taught by a live instructor. There will also be 30 hours of hands-on landscaping training. The confirmed sites so far are Buffalo Olmsted…
by Connie Oswald Stofko The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens is again holding its Great Plant Sale online, and you can order now. The deadline to order is May 4, but don’t wait–many plants sell out well before then. I am highlighting just three here: I’m proud that Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com is a sponsor of the Great Plant Sale again this year! About the Great Plant Sale Last year, “A lot of people were amazed by the quality of the plants” they…
by Connie Oswald Stofko Are you ready to see colorful flowers, unique garden art and an overall beautiful landscape? In this video, Jay Jinge Hu, who shares his own landscape on Open Gardens, takes us on a tour of the gardens of Mitch Flynn and Ellen Goldstein, who will again this year share their landscape on Open Gardens and Garden Walk Buffalo. Whatever you enjoy about a garden, you can probably find in these gardens. There’s the sculpture Flynn made…